Caskett
by SelimPensFiction
Summary: The team at the 12th must help Beckett and Castle out of a sticky situation.
_This Caskett fantasy takes place during Castle and Beckett's engagement._

* * *

Javier Esposito was in the locker room at the gym, drying off from a post-workout shower when his mobile rang.

"Esposito," he said.

"Hey Espo, it's Kevin."

"Bro, what's up?"

"Sorry to call on your day off, but you'd better get down here," said Ryan.

"Why?" said Esposito. "What's going on?"

"Nothing good," said Ryan. "Just get here as soon as you can."

And with that, Ryan disconnected.

Esposito stared at his phone for a moment, then dried himself in a flurry and dressed. He was out the door with his gym bag in less than three minutes.

When he stepped off the elevator at the 12th, he looked around, but all he could see were the usual activities. No crisis. No hostage situations. He was starting to get annoyed with his partner when Ryan stepped up to him.

"Oh good, you're here," said Ryan. "We just don't know what to do."

"About what?" said Esposito.

"Over this way," beckoned Ryan. "But prepare yourself. It's pretty awful."

Esposito dutifully followed his partner, then stopped cold. His eyes widened, then his nose wrinkled.

"I wasn't sure what to expect," said Esposito. "It sure wasn't this."

Ryan just nodded, staring in front of him.

"How long they been like this?"

"Since I got here this morning," Ryan said. "It's been hours."

"Seriously?" said Esposito. "Hours?"

Again, Ryan nodded sadly.

In front of them, Castle was seated at Beckett's desk. Beckett was seated on his lap, and they were lip-locked, their hands roaming through each other's hair and along their backs, shoulders, arms and legs.

Looking to his left, Esposito noted that three officers were seated, starry-eyed, watching the couple. One of them, downing a bag of potato chips, sighed and said, "They're so _cute_." "Just adorable," breathed another. "They love each other _so_ much," said the third.

Shaking his head, Esposito muttered, "What, are we selling tickets?" He walked up to the kissing couple and said, "Hey! Beckett. Enough already."

Neither she nor Castle took the least notice. He poked each of them with his index finger. Again, there was no response.

He thought for a moment, then said, "Yo! Castle. You gotta come, bro. Someone's trashed your Ferrari."

"Mmmm mmmm m mmm. Mmm mmm mmmm."

Puzzled, Esposito turned to Ryan. "You get that?"

Shoulders slumped, Ryan said, "Afraid so. He said, 'Don't need a car. I've got love."

"You're kidding me," said Esposito. Then he felt himself turning a bit green, and his stomach started to roll.

"Gotta hit the men's room," said Esposito as he dashed off.

"Been there, done that," Ryan called after him.

* * *

The door to Gates' office was closed, the blinds were drawn, and the mood was grim. Ryan and Esposito sat in front of her desk while Gates tapped a pad of paper with the eraser end of a pencil.

"We have to do something," said Gates. "Not only are we getting no work from Detective Beckett, news is spreading throughout the precinct. People are calling them "Caskett". They're coming to watch them on their lunch and coffee breaks, any chance they get. It's the biggest productivity drain the precinct has seen since I've been here."

"Speaking of lunch," said Esposito, "have they not taken a break to eat?"

"We tried to get them apart by bringing them lunch," said Ryan. "Waved it right under their noses. Guess what Beckett mumbled."

"Let's see," said Esposito. "Was it something like, 'We don't need food. We've got our love.'"

"You got it," said Ryan.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take," said Esposito, rubbing his forehead.

"We need _something_ to distract them," said Gates. Then she brightened. "A case. We need to send Beckett out on a case."

Esposito shook his head, downcast, then he looked up at Gates and grinned.

"Not just any case," said Esposito. "What do you think of _this_?"

And Esposito outlined his plan.

* * *

Ryan was pacing outside the dilapidated warehouse where he'd arrived a few minutes before with a couple of uniforms. Beckett's car pulled up, and after a minute, the driver's door opened. Beckett emerged, first her left leg, then her right, then, very slowly, her torso, and finally her head, which was still lip-locked to Castle as he followed her out.

"Seriously?" said Ryan. "She drove here like that? How?"

One of the officers just shrugged and looked away. Ryan didn't blame him. It was a painful thing to watch. He noted, however, that the other officer was smiling a dreamy smile. _What is it with some people_? Ryan wondered.

Beckett and Castle side-stepped their way towards Ryan, slowly stepping up over the curb.

"Okay," said Ryan with a cough. "The crime scene is this way."

Stepping toward the building, Ryan pulled open the large door and took a flashlight out of his pocket. Beckett and Castle followed, side stepping all the way, their arms in constant motion as they maintained their affections.

"Oh, hey, Dad," called Alexis from inside the warehouse. "How's it going?"

"MmmMmm?" queried Castle, his left eye open now and looking in Alexis' direction.

"Oh yeah, Alexis got permission from Gates to join us. School project, I think," said Ryan.

Alexis was scanning the warehouse interior, using a flashlight to get a close look at the crates and equipment scattered throughout. But when she approached an open office door, she let out a squeal as a balaclava-clad man, dressed all in black, jumped out and wrapped a thick arm around her.

"Dad!" Alexa screeched.

Castle's eye popped open again and looked in Alexis' direction. He started to groan, then finally disentangled himself from Beckett and ran towards his daughter.

The man pulled out a gun.

"Stop right there or she gets it," he man yelled.

Castle stopped in his tracks. The man backed away from him, until he reached the warehouse exit and took Alexis with him outside. Castle started running again.

Beckett started after him, but Ryan tripped her and she fell forward onto the ground.

"Ryan, what the hell?" said Beckett.

Ryan slapped cuffs on her. "Detective Beckett," said Ryan. "You're under arrest."

Castle exited the warehouse and looked down the alley for his daughter. He felt a thud on the back of his head, then nothing.

* * *

When he came to, Castle found himself handcuffed in an interrogation room back at the 12th. As his vision cleared, he noted Esposito sitting across from him. He tried to get up from his chair, but his restraints prevented this.

"Alexis!" he said. "Someone's taken her."

"Yeah, about that," said Esposito. He tapped on the window and Alexis came in, taking a seat beside him.

"Alexis?" said Castle.

"Are you okay?" said Alexis, concern written on her face.

"I'm fine," said Castle, "but you were…"

"That was me, Castle," said Esposito.

Castle's eyes widened and he looked to Alexis, who nodded.

"This is an intervention," she said with some sadness in her voice.

"A… what?" said Castle.

"You and Beckett," said Esposito. "You've been… close for the past while."

"What? Of course we've been close. We're engaged. What's all this about?"

Esposito nodded at Alexis, who took her phone out of her purse.

"Someone recorded you and Beckett here at the precinct," said Alexis. This is a time-lapse video of the two of you over a six hour period."

As Castle watched, his expression turned sheepish. "Well, okay, yes, we might have gotten a bit carried away."

"Bro," said Esposito, "Charles Manson got carried away. This goes way beyond that."

"What are you saying, exactly?" said Castle.

"It has to stop. At least in public. You hear me Castle? 'Cause those cuffs aren't coming off until you agree."

"Oh, come on, Espo, fun's fun. Now get me out of these, will you?"

Esposito crossed his arms, his expression stony.

Castle looked to Alexis, who shook her head sadly.

Just then, Castle looked down and saw that his hands were trembling. So were his thighs. _Oh my God_ , he thought. _I'm going through Beckett withdrawal. It's worse than I thought._

Then he took a deep breath, steadied himself, and looked back up at Esposito. "Fine," said Castle. "You're right. We let it get out of hand. From now on, behind closed doors only. You have my word."

Castle emerged from the interrogation room, rubbing his wrists where the cuffs had chafed them. Just then, Beckett emerged from Gates office, looking pale.

Castle was about to dash to her when Esposito stepped in front of him.

"Ah ah ah," said Esposito. "You promised."

"Yes, right," said Castle. "Sorry." Then looking at Beckett, he said, "Hi Beckett."

"Castle," said Beckett, weakly. "Glad to see you're okay."

Gates was watching them both closely.

Turning back, Beckett said, "Thanks, Captain, and thanks for giving me the rest of the day off."

Castle's eyes widened. "You have the rest of the day off?"

Beckett nodded. "Then tomorrow, everything will be back to normal. Promise," she added, looking in Ryan's direction.

Ryan nodded acknowledgement.

"So," said Beckett, as she started for the elevator.

"Right," said Castle, as he caught up to her.

Esposito stepped in between them, and walked them to the elevator doors. Beckett pushed the down button.

As they waited, Beckett and Castle looked everywhere but at each other. Finally, the doors opened and they stepped inside, each taking opposite corners.

"See you tomorrow, Espo," said Beckett. Esposito nodded and the doors closed.

Then, as it descended, Esposito heard a banging sound from within the elevator shaft, then another and another.

Shaking his head, he walked back to his desk. "I just don't believe those two," he said. "Give me strength."

Just then, Gates emerged from her office, carrying her coat and bag. In response to Esposito's raised eyebrow, she said, "Family emergency. Have to go."

"Good luck," Esposito called after her. _Funny_ , he thought. _Did her face look flushed_?

Over at Ryan's desk, Ryan was gathering up his things to leave too.

"Thought I'd better check in with Jenny," said Ryan, a guilty look on his face.

"Okay…" said Esposito as he watched Ryan dash away.

 _Come to think of it_ , Esposito thought, _there's something I have to do as well_.

Down in the morgue, Lanie was finishing off a report at her desk when she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders.

"Hello, Javier," she said. "What brings you here?"

There was no answer so she turned around. Esposito simply smiled at her.


End file.
